Interoceptive Sensitivity and Self-Reports of Emotional Experience.

People differ in the extent to which they emphasize feelings of activation or deactivation in their verbal reports of experienced emotion, termed arousal focus (AF). Two multimethod studies indicate that AF is linked to heightened interoceptive sensitivity (as measured by performance on a heartbeat detection task). People who were more sensitive to their heartbeats emphasized feelings of activation and deactivation when reporting their experiences of emotion over time more than did those who were less sensitive. This relationship was not accounted for by several other variables, including simple language effects. Implications for the role of interoception in experienced emotion and the validity of self-reported emotion are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Role of Telomerase in Breast Cancer’s Response to Therapy

Currently, breast cancer appears to be the most widespread cancer in the world and the most common cause of cancer deaths. This specific type of cancer affects women in both developed and developing countries. Prevention and early diagnosis are very important factors for good prognosis. A characteristic feature of cancer cells is the ability of unlimited cell division, which makes them immortal. Telomeres, which are shortened with each cell division in normal cells, are rebuilt in cancer cells by the enzyme telomerase, which is expressed in more than 85% of cancers (up to 100% of adenocarcinomas, including breast cancer). Telomerase may have different functions that are related to telomeres or unrelated. It has been shown that high activity of the enzyme in cancer cells is associated with poor cell sensitivity to therapies. Therefore, telomerase has become a potential target for cancer therapies. The low efficacy of therapies has resulted in the search for new combined and more effective therapeutic methods, including the involvement of telomerase inhibitors and telomerase-targeted immunotherapy.     

Anti-inflammatory effect of aqueous extracts of roasted and green Coffea arabica L.

Green coffee contains a large quantity and variety of polyphenols and flavonoids. The roasting affects the composition of the polyphenols in coffee, due to the formation of compounds generated by Maillard reaction, which can have anti-inflammatory or antioxidant potential. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of aqueous extracts of green (AGCa) and roasted (ARCa) coffee beans were investigated in animal models and using a DPPH radical scavenging test. In the formalin test the extracts reduced licking activity only in the late phase. The inhibitory values of oedema at 3 h post-carrageenan were 53% and 74% for 100 and 300 mg/kg of the AGCa extract and 36% for ARCa (300 mg/kg). Leukocyte recruitment into the peritoneal cavity was inhibited by the extracts. The antioxidant activities of the extracts were higher than the reference antioxidants, ascorbic acid and butylated hydroxytoluene. These results indicate that coffee extracts exhibit anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.     

Enhancement of pasta antioxidant activity with oregano and carrot leaf

Five different pasta formulations were prepared using different concentrations of carrot leaf meal (CLM) and oregano leaf meal (OLM). One control formulation (wheat flour and semolina, 70:30 w/w) and four other formulations were prepared using the following amounts of leaf meals: 5% CLM and 5% OLM (I), 10% CLM (II), 10% OLM (III), and 10% CLM, 10% OLM (IV). The highest content of alpha-linolenic acid was found in formulations II and IV, which also had a reduced n-6/n-3 ratio, 3.6 (IV), when compared to the control, which was 19.8. All the samples enhanced with leaf meals showed antioxidant activity by the DPPH radical method; however, it was higher in formulation IV, which was the same observed for phenolic compounds. Pasta added with leaf meals lost more solubles, had shorter cooking time and a lower weight increase than the control pasta. All formulations had significant sensory acceptance.     

Diffuse color patterning using blended electrochromic polymers for proof‐of‐concept adaptive camouflage plaques

A study using three different pairs of electrochromic polymers (ECPs) synthesized onto plaques by means of a modified vapor phase polymerization (VPP) technique is presented. Restriction of the respective polymerization times, allowed both faster and slower polymerizing monomers to be controlled, and produced blended plaques with visually diffuse interfaces. The ECPs within the blended plaques retain their individual electrochromic behavior and when encapsulated into an electrochromic device, show outstanding optical switching performance with little degradation evident over 10,000 cycles, coupled with a switching time of the order of 1 second. Blends also allow multiple diffuse color changes within an electrochromic device, due to the difference in oxidation potentials of the individual ECPs, making them candidates for adaptive camouflage use. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42158.     

Automatic heart-rate-based selection of pedal load and control system for electric cart

This paper describes an autoselection method for the pedal load of an electric cart, and the control system. The method checks the driver’s physical condition just before the start of driving, calculates the driver’s rating of perceived exertion, and uses that to automatically select a suitable pedal load. To ensure that the level of physical exertion is safe, the largest pedal load is determined on the basis of Borg’s CR10, the Karvonen formula, a pedaling experiment, and statistical data. A driver’s degree of fatigue is estimated from his heart rate, and a pedal load (between the largest and almost zero) is automatically selected. In addition, a dynamic output-feedback cart control system was designed that guarantees the stability of the cart system for any allowable pedal load. A stability condition is derived by employing the concept of dynamic parallel distributed compensation. Finally, experiments demonstrate the validity of the method.     

High throughput profiling of charge heterogeneity in antibodies by microchip electrophoresis

A high throughput microchip capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) method was developed for the analysis of charge heterogeneity in antibodies. The method utilizes high speed microchip electrophoresis separation and is well-suited for high throughput charge profiling of antibodies during process and formulation development. The method involves derivatization of protein molecules with Cy5 N-hydroxysuccinimide ester (NHS-ester), which does not change the protein charge profile and enables fluorescence detection on a commercial microchip instrument. The sample preparation can be performed in 96-well microtiter plates within 1 h, and each sample analysis takes only 80 s. Protein charge variants with a pI difference of 0.1 can be readily resolved in the 12.5 mm microfluidic channel. Charge profiles similar to those obtained using conventional CZE technology were found for all antibodies tested (pIs in the range of 7.5-9.2). The separation efficiency corresponds to 1.2 × 10(4) theoretical plates (1.0 μm plate height). Assay performance is assessed by demonstrating specificity, carryover, linearity, limit of detection, and precision.     

Proteolysis in model Portuguese cheeses: Effects of rennet and starter culture

To shed further light onto the mechanisms of proteolysis that prevail throughout ripening of Portuguese cheeses, model cheeses were manufactured from bovine milk, following as much as possible traditional manufacture practices – using either animal or plant rennet. The individual role upon proteolysis of two (wild) strains of lactic acid bacteria – viz. Lactococcus lactis and Lactobacillus brevis, which are normally found to high viable numbers in said cheeses, was also considered, either as single or mixed cultures. Our experimental results confirmed the influence of rennet on the proteolysis extent, but not on proteolysis depth. On the other hand, the aforementioned strains clearly improved release of medium- and small-sized peptides, and contributed as well to the free amino acid pool in cheese.     

Influence of Laponite RD on the properties of poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogels

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogels were prepared in the presence/absence of Laponite RD (LRD) by using glutaraldehyde (GL) as chemical crosslinker. The effect of GL concentration (CHO/OH ratio between 0.02 and 0.38) and of clay addition on the PVA hydrogel properties was investigated. The swollen hydrogels showed good transparency and flexibility. LRD incorporation into the PVA hydrogel, revealed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, led to a significant increase of the roughness of the dried hydrogel surface (about two times), as established by atomic force microscopy. The swelling ability was affected in a small extent by the clay addition. The elastic modulus decreased from 4680 to 3340 Pa and from 2195 to 1603 Pa by addition of 0.5% LRD into PVA hydrogels obtained with CHO/OH ratio of 0.02 and 0.06, respectively. The LRD addition reduced the gelation time determined by in situ rheological monitoring of PVA crosslinking reaction. The experimental investigations showed that there is an optimum CHO/OH ratio of 0.02 for which the PVA/LRD hybrid hydrogel presents the properties required by a targeted application, as for example support material for wound dressings. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46661.